Mason/Dixon Line? These people think not!

[Yahtzee]

Interesting link. And one that is definitely a demarcation pt. for southern hikers.

http://eightoverfive.com/SweetTea.swf

Proceed to experiment and click on Sweet Tea Line for the "real" boundary between the North and South.

[Swiss Roll]

Interesting site and probably as good of a border marker as any other system. The thing that bugs me is that more and more restaurants down here (Huntsville, AL-definitely the south) do not serve sweet tea. These are your cosmopolitan, hoity-toity places that seem to want to distance themselves from anything that is considered southern. To them, sweet tea=southern=unsophisticated bumpkins. It is very irritating to me as I like good food and I am a conissuer (sp) of sweet tea.

[oldfivetango]

You forgot to mention that we southernors are the last group
left which is exempt from "political correctness" as it pertains
to public comedic ridicule.I cannot wait until the Geico Cavemen
get their own show.I bet they will have southern accents-time will
tell.Incidentally,I like sweet tea but not the "pancake syrup" that most
restaurants are serving which they masquerade as properly sweetened tea.
Oldfivetango

[RockyBob]

Interesting set up. It has always been the debate in the Richmond Va area that you were not really in the South until you were South of the James River. Those of us who lived in the area South of Richmond always advocated that you wern't in the South until you were South of the Appomatox River.

[SteveJ]

Interesting set up. It has always been the debate in the Richmond Va area that you were not really in the South until you were South of the James River. Those of us who lived in the area South of Richmond always advocated that you wern't in the South until you were South of the Appomatox River.

<thread swerve>.....and those of us who grew up in Alabama always said that Atlanta, GA and the entire state of FL were controlled by yankees, and shouldn't be considered southern entities! now that I live in the Atlanta area, I can confirm that! <back to topic> - and most of the hoity toity restaurants downtown don't serve sweet tea!

[TDale]

If the sweet tea line is being decided by McD's then we're in a sad state.

[Frosty]

Interesting site and probably as good of a border marker as any other system. The thing that bugs me is that more and more restaurants down here (Huntsville, AL-definitely the south) do not serve sweet tea. These are your cosmopolitan, hoity-toity places that seem to want to distance themselves from anything that is considered southern. To them, sweet tea=southern=unsophisticated bumpkins. It is very irritating to me as I like good food and I am a conissuer (sp) of sweet tea.

This is a northern's point of view, but couldn't you just order a glass of unsweetened tea and a five pound bag of sugar?

[chief]

Frosty, that would be akin to ordering instant coffee. Please!

[Moon Monster]

Nice site. Several local places serve sweet tea in the Baltimore area. I've found it off and on in Pennsylvania, too. I agree that McDonalds is not the best way to do the experiment, though it may be the most convenient. Bojangles and Chic-Fil-A have brought sweet tea north of Virginia. But, the local diners, greasy spoons, and barbecue joints are the best data.

I was shocked that the Home Place Restaurant in Catawba, VA of all places did not have sweet tea when I was thru in '03. They had pitchers of lemonade and unsweetened tea. That really surprised me considering the vibe of the rest of the place.

[NICKTHEGREEK]

Its not the south till there are at least 2 waffle houses in sight of each other.

[TDale]

Just so all you heathens know, pre-sweetened tea is a modern contrivance. Proper sweet tea is sweetened by the glass.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Histo...TeaHistory.htm

[Swiss Roll]

"Just so all you heathens know, pre-sweetened tea is a modern contrivance. Proper sweet tea is sweetened by the glass."

Have to part ways with you there, bro. I can stir till I'm blue in the face and the sugar will not dissolve fully in cold tea. That's why it always amazes me when I ask for sweet tea in a southern restaurant and the waitress says (with just a hint of condescension,) "Our tea is unsweetened, we have sugar on the table." Hello? Did I just get teleported to New York City? 90% of the people down here drink it that way and it's like I asked for Earl Grey himself to pour me a glass. I mean, has she never attempted to stir sugar in cold tea? Is she from another planet? How hard is is to dump a bag of Dominoes into vat just after it is brewed?




"Its not the south till there are at least 2 waffle houses in sight of each other."

So where is the Waffle House Line?

[smokymtnsteve]

Just so all you heathens know, pre-sweetened tea is a modern contrivance. Proper sweet tea is sweetened by the glass.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Histo...TeaHistory.htm

uin must be a transplant southerner...REAL "southern table table wine" as we'ns call it is asweettened rite after it is boiled,,along witha little bakin sody added during the boilin, the tea should be dark black color not that washed out lookin stuff Uins git nowadays,

and the po-tater salit should be mashed,

[TDale]

How hard is is to dump a bag of Dominoes into vat just after it is brewed?

Oh, about as hard as it is to but a few drops of mint flavoring in bourbon and call it a mint julep.

[Dances with Mice]

One Christmas vacation I was in Philadelphia visiting the in-laws and we went out to eat. No place fancy, just a local steak house kind of place. I ordered iced tea.

The waiter said they didn't serve it. I had him repeat that a couple of times because I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

He said it was "seasonal" and it wasn't the right season. I was so surpised to learn that ice and tea had seasons!

[Rain Man]

Interesting link. And one that is definitely a demarcation pt. for southern hikers...

Well now, fer Southern hikers, you gotta throw in a "grits demarcation line" too, don'tchaknow?!

I still remember the time I travelled into the Yankeeland as a young man and stopped at some eatin' facility along side a HUGE corn field. It wuz breakfast time, and I asked fer grits with my meal. That waitress looked at me like I was stupid and offered me something called "hashbrown potaters" instead. I looked out at the HUGE corn field, imagining all those grits right thar, cogitated and considered that them there potatoes had to be hauled millions of miles from Idaho,... and thought I just might not be the stupid one.

RainMan

.

[Frosty]

You forgot to mention that we southernors are the last group
left which is exempt from "political correctness" as it pertains
to public comedic ridicule.

I don't know. White middle-aed men are fair game to be portrayed as ridiculous in TV ads. I've seen a lot of ads that would have caused a public poop-storm if the male-female parts were reversed. Not complaining, just observing. I think the ability to make fun of one's self is one of the basic characteristics of a civilized person.

Also, northerners are taking their lumps in this thread. As well they should

[Frosty]

Well now, fer Southern hikers, you gotta throw in a "grits demarcation line" too, don'tchaknow?!

I still remember the time I travelled into the Yankeeland as a young man and stopped at some eatin' facility along side a HUGE corn field. It wuz breakfast time, and I asked fer grits with my meal. That waitress looked at me like I was stupid and offered me something called "hashbrown potaters" instead. I looked out at the HUGE corn field, imagining all those grits right thar, cogitated and considered that them there potatoes had to be hauled millions of miles from Idaho,... and thought I just might not be the stupid one.

So grits are corn, huh? I've had a lot of grits in a lot of southern restaurants, and I cannot tell the difference between them and Cream of Wheat. I suspect you southerners are hauling wheat millions of miles from Minnesota to make your grits.

I've made corn bread and it's yellow.

How come grits aren't if they're really corn and not wheat?

[Dances with Mice]

I've made corn bread and it's yellow.

How come grits aren't if they're really corn and not wheat?

Because...

Grits are made from hominy corn. Hominy grows really tall and is a beautiful plant, you should try some in your garden. I could sell you some seeds....

If you just coarse grind regular corn, you get polenta.

[TIDE-HSV]

as a fellow Southerner and Huntsvillian, sweet tea is made by adding the sugar while the tea is still boiling for maximum absorption. The idea is to drink it before the sugar precipitates out as the liquid cools. On the grits, I'm an amateur. Although born and bred in the South, I never saw them until I started to college at the University of Alabama...